Materiality & Value of Art In Flux (44 books)

Nonfiction books that primarily focus on the material and economic history of art, such as forgeries, heists, museum operations, and the people who read and write about art. (This is NOT a list of museum guides, novels about art, or books about specific artists or art movements. Curation history/theft and heists/art world gossip ONLY. PLEASE do not vote for books that do not meet these criteria - they will be removed.)

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1	The Rape of Europa: The Fate of Europe's Treasures in the Third Reich and the Second World War by Lynn H. Nicholas 3.93 avg rating — 7,768 ratings score: 782, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel 3.80 avg rating — 52,491 ratings score: 388, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art by Don Thompson 3.87 avg rating — 6,047 ratings score: 296, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	I Was Vermeer: The Rise and Fall of the Twentieth Century's Greatest Forger by Frank Wynne 3.90 avg rating — 1,614 ratings score: 286, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Breakfast at Sotheby's: An A-Z of the Art World by Philip Hook 3.96 avg rating — 849 ratings score: 275, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures by Robert K. Wittman 3.83 avg rating — 10,376 ratings score: 259, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art by Laney Salisbury 3.93 avg rating — 6,691 ratings score: 196, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Seven Days in the Art World by Sarah Thornton 3.61 avg rating — 71,554 ratings score: 195, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	The Value of Art: Money, Power, Beauty by Michael Findlay 4.05 avg rating — 560 ratings score: 193, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Hot Art: Chasing Thieves and Detectives Through the Secret World of Stolen Art by Joshua Knelman 3.84 avg rating — 568 ratings score: 193, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Making the Mummies Dance: Inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art by Thomas Hoving 3.84 avg rating — 1,070 ratings score: 192, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	A Real Van Gogh: How the Art World Struggles with Truth by Henk Tromp 3.80 avg rating — 15 ratings score: 190, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Museum of the Missing: A History of Art Theft by Simon Houpt 3.82 avg rating — 1,324 ratings score: 188, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	The Medici Conspiracy: The Illicit Journey of Looted Antiquities--From Italy's Tomb Raiders to the World's Greatest Museums by Peter Watson 3.85 avg rating — 780 ratings score: 179, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Art of the Deal: Contemporary Art in a Global Financial Market by Noah Horowitz 3.60 avg rating — 88 ratings score: 176, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	Art and Crime: Exploring the Dark Side of the Art World by Noah Charney (Goodreads Author) (Editor) 3.80 avg rating — 45 ratings score: 172, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	The Art of Forgery: The Minds, Motives and Methods of Master Forgers by Noah Charney (Goodreads Author) 3.95 avg rating — 719 ratings score: 170, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Forger's Spell: A True Story of Vermeer, Nazis, and the Greatest Art Hoax of the Twentieth Century by Edward Dolnick 3.88 avg rating — 5,144 ratings score: 166, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	Sotheby's: The Inside Story by Peter Watson 3.57 avg rating — 145 ratings score: 164, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	The Art of the Con: The Most Notorious Fakes, Frauds, and Forgeries in the Art World by Anthony M. Amore (Goodreads Author) 3.54 avg rating — 1,201 ratings score: 128, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	The Irish Game: A True Story of Crime and Art by Matthew Hart (Goodreads Author) 3.71 avg rating — 724 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Master Pieces: The Curator's Game by Thomas Hoving 3.85 avg rating — 116 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	False Impressions: The Hunt for Big-Time Art Fakes by Thomas Hoving 3.68 avg rating — 212 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Hidden Inheritance by Edmund de Waal 3.96 avg rating — 63,848 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Chasing Aphrodite: The Hunt for Looted Antiquities at the World's Richest Museum by Jason Felch 4.06 avg rating — 2,158 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	Stealing the Mystic Lamb: The True Story of the World's Most Coveted Masterpiece by Noah Charney (Goodreads Author) 3.79 avg rating — 1,010 ratings score: 91, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	The Art Detective: Fakes, Frauds, and Finds and the Search for Lost Treasures by Philip Mould 3.75 avg rating — 1,582 ratings score: 88, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	Art Theft and the Case of the Stolen Turners by Sandy Nairne 3.49 avg rating — 47 ratings score: 87, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Lost Lives, Lost Art: Jewish Collectors, Nazi Art Theft, and the Quest for Justice by Melissa Müller 4.13 avg rating — 122 ratings score: 86, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World's Largest Unsolved Art Theft by Ulrich Boser (Goodreads Author) 3.69 avg rating — 7,756 ratings score: 85, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	The Venus Fixers: The Remarkable Story of the Allied Soldiers Who Saved Italy's Art During World War II by Ilaria Dagnini Brey 3.77 avg rating — 416 ratings score: 85, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	Mauve: How One Man Invented a Colour That Changed the World by Simon Garfield 3.67 avg rating — 1,904 ratings score: 84, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	The Fake: Forgery and its Place in Art by Sandor Radnoti 4.25 avg rating — 12 ratings score: 79, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	The Man Who Made Vermeers: Unvarnishing the Legend of Master Forger Han van Meegeren by Jonathan Lopez (Goodreads Author) 3.77 avg rating — 8,544 ratings score: 75, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	The Deceivers: Art Forgery and Identity in the Nineteenth Century by Aviva Briefel 3.80 avg rating — 5 ratings score: 74, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Saving Mona Lisa: The Battle to Protect the Louvre and Its Treasures During World War II by Gerri Chanel (Goodreads Author) 4.06 avg rating — 556 ratings score: 74, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	Females in the Frame: Women, Art, and Crime by Penelope Jackson 3.80 avg rating — 5 ratings score: 73, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	Stealing the Show: A History of Art and Crime in Six Thefts by John Barelli 3.38 avg rating — 655 ratings score: 72, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	Plundering Beauty: A History of Art Crime during War by Arthur Tompkins 3.88 avg rating — 8 ratings score: 71, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	Hitler's Last Hostages: Looted Art and the Soul of the Third Reich by Mary M. Lane (Goodreads Author) 3.81 avg rating — 202 ratings score: 70, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	The Work of Art in the World: Civic Agency and Public Humanities by Doris Sommer 3.74 avg rating — 50 ratings score: 66, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	The Supermodel and the Brillo Box: Back Stories and Peculiar Economics from the World of Contemporary Art by Don Thompson 3.84 avg rating — 283 ratings score: 57, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	Curationism: How Curating Took Over the Art World and Everything Else by David Balzer 3.60 avg rating — 363 ratings score: 56, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Stealing History: Tomb Raiders, Smugglers, and the Looting of the Ancient World by Roger Atwood 3.85 avg rating — 359 ratings score: 44, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars